Serological Diagnosis Of Human Sparganosis By Means Of Micro-ELISA

Seven cases of surgically proven sparganosis were serologically tested by means of micro ELISA for their specific IgG antibody levels. For that purpose, crude saline extract of spargana from snake, Natrix tigrina lateralis was prepared and used as antigen. The sparganosis sera were also tested with Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens to observe the cross reactivity. A total of 71 sera from normal control, ectopic and pulmonary paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis, cysticercosis and Taenia saginata cases were also included. Except for one case of old calcified infection, all of 6 human sparganosis showed higher serum levels of specific IgG antibody when the differential point of positive reaction was set at the absorbance value of 0.25 (the sensitivity being 85.7%). In control and other helminthic infections, all except 3 cases of T. saginata infection showed negative reaction to sparganum antigen (the specificity being 95.7%). None of sparganosis cases showed cross reactivity to Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens. Undiluted cerebrospinal fluid also showed high levels of antibody when central nervous system was invaded. The serologic diagnosis by means of micro-ELISA could be a useful tool in epidemiological study of human sparganosis in susceptible population, as well as in individual diagnosis.